Judge upholds award in Ventura defamation lawsuit

Associated Press

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled as reasonable $1.8 million in damages awarded to former Minnesota Gov. Jesse Ventura in a defamation case.

A federal jury last month sided with the former pro wrestler in his two-year fight to prove he was defamed by a military sniper and best-selling author who claimed to have punched Ventura at a bar for bad-mouthing the Navy SEALs.

The jury said "American Sniper" author Chris Kyle's claim was false and defamatory. Jurors awarded $500,000 for damages and advised $1.3 million for "unjust enrichment," or how much money Kyle improperly made from the claim.

The St. Paul Pioneer Press (http://bit.ly/1pGsewd ) reports that Judge Richard Kyle upheld the jury's enrichment figure Thursday, saying it's "reasonable and supported by a preponderance of the evidence."